Sony A7 II vs A850

The Sony Alpha A7 II and the Sony Alpha A850 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in November 2014 and August 2009. The A7 II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the A850 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with a full frame sensor. The A7 II has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the A850 provides 24.4 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A7 II and the
Sony Alpha A850? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors,
their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Sony A7 II vs A850

The physical size and weight of the Sony A7 II and the Sony A850 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Sony A850 is considerably larger (50 percent) than the Sony A7 II. Moreover, the A850 is substantially heavier (49 percent) than the A7 II. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses
in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the A7 II gets 350 shots out of its NP-FW50 battery,
while the A850 can take 880 images on a single charge of its NP-FM500H power pack. The power pack in the A7 II can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger
along when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Sony A7 II vs A850

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors
differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A850 is 1 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 24.4MP, the A850 offers a higher
resolution than the A7 II (24MP), but the A850 has marginally smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of
5.94μm versus 5.97μm for the A7 II). Yet, the A7 II is a much more recent model (by 5 years and 2 months) than the A850, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The A7 II has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha A7 II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 50-51200.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A850 are ISO 200 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-6400.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. Of the two cameras under review, the A7 II provides substantially higher image quality than the A850, with an overall score that is 11 points higher. This advantage is based on 1.1 bits higher color depth, 1.4 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.8 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Sony A7 II»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.9

13.6

2449

90

Sony A7 II

Sony A850«

Full Frame

24.4

6048

4032

-

23.8

12.2

1415

79

Sony A850

Nikon Z6«»

Full Frame

24.3

6048

4024

4K/30p

25.3

14.3

3299

95

Nikon Z6

Nikon D750«»

Full Frame

24.2

6016

4016

1080/60p

24.8

14.5

2956

93

Nikon D750

Sony A7 III«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

25.0

14.7

3730

96

Sony A7 III

Sony A7R III«»

Full Frame

42.2

7952

5304

4K/30p

26.0

14.7

3523

100

Sony A7R III

Sony A9«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

24.9

13.3

3517

92

Sony A9

Sony A7R II«»

Full Frame

42.2

7952

5304

4K/30p

26.0

13.9

3434

98

Sony A7R II

Sony A7S II«»

Full Frame

12.0

4240

2832

4K/30p

23.6

13.3

2993

85

Sony A7S II

Sony A7«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.8

14.2

2248

90

Sony A7

Sony A7R«»

Full Frame

36.2

7360

4912

1080/60p

25.6

14.1

2746

95

Sony A7R

Sony A99«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

25.0

14.0

1555

89

Sony A99

Sony A77«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.0

13.2

801

78

Sony A77

Sony A900«»

Full Frame

24.4

6048

4032

-

23.7

12.3

1431

79

Sony A900

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The A7 II indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the A850 does not. The highest resolution format that the A7 II can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison: Sony A7 II vs A850

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A7 II has an electronic viewfinder (2400k dots), while the A850 has an optical one.
Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information
into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the A7 II offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the
A850 (98%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand,
the viewfinder of the A850 has a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.71x),
so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A7 II, the Sony A850, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Sony A7 II»

2400

n

3.0

1230

tilting

n

1/8000s

5.0

n

Y

Sony A7 II

Sony A850«

optical

Y

3.0

922

fixed

n

1/8000s

3.0

n

Y

Sony A850

Nikon Z6«»

3690

Y

3.2

2100

tilting

Y

1/8000s

12.0

n

Y

Nikon Z6

Nikon D750«»

optical

Y

3.2

1229

tilting

n

1/4000s

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D750

Sony A7 III«»

2359

n

3.0

922

tilting

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Sony A7 III

Sony A7R III«»

3686

n

3.0

1440

tilting

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Sony A7R III

Sony A9«»

3686

n

3.0

1440

tilting

Y

1/8000s

20.0

n

Y

Sony A9

Sony A7R II«»

2400

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

1/8000s

5.0

n

Y

Sony A7R II

Sony A7S II«»

2400

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

1/8000s

5.0

n

Y

Sony A7S II

Sony A7«»

2400

n

3.0

1230

tilting

n

1/8000s

5.0

n

n

Sony A7

Sony A7R«»

2400

n

3.0

1230

tilting

n

1/8000s

4.0

n

n

Sony A7R

Sony A99«»

2359

Y

3.0

1229

full-flex

n

1/8000s

6.0

n

Y

Sony A99

Sony A77«»

2359

Y

3.0

921

full-flex

n

1/8000s

12.0

Y

Y

Sony A77

Sony A900«»

optical

Y

3.0

922

fixed

n

1/8000s

5.0

n

Y

Sony A900

One feature that is present on the A850, but is missing on the A7 II is a top-level LCD.
While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The A7 II writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the A850 uses Compact Flash or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A850 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the A7 II
only has one slot.

Connectivity comparison: Sony A7 II vs A850

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A7 II and Sony Alpha A850 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Sony A7 II»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7 II

Sony A850«

Y

-

-

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony A850

Nikon Z6«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

3.1

Y

-

Y

Nikon Z6

Nikon D750«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Nikon D750

Sony A7 III«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

3.1

Y

Y

Y

Sony A7 III

Sony A7R III«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

3.1

Y

Y

Y

Sony A7R III

Sony A9«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Sony A9

Sony A7R II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7R II

Sony A7S II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7S II

Sony A7«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7

Sony A7R«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7R

Sony A99«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony A99

Sony A77«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony A77

Sony A900«»

Y

-

-

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony A900

It is notable that the A7 II offers wifi support, while the A850 does not.
Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A850 (unlike the A7 II) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights
can be controlled by the camera.

Both the A7 II and the A850 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The A7 II was replaced by the Sony A7 III, while the A850 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Sony website.

Review summary: Sony A7 II vs A850

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony A7 II and the Sony A850? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

More modern: Reflects 5 years and 2 months of technical progress since the A850 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A850:

Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.

Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.71x).

Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.

Longer lasting: Gets more shots (880 versus 350) out of a single battery charge.

Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.

Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.

More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2009).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A7 II is the clear winner of the match-up (17 : 7 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A7 II or the A850. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews: Sony A7 II vs A850

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.